Noname, Elton

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Chantal Anderson

Noname

Hip-hop has a long history of transcendent debut albums; from Illmatic to The College Dropout, rap is all about first impressions. Room 25, the jazzy first album of Chicago’s Noname (following the 2016 mixtape Telefone), stands with the giants. It’s remarkably assured in its execution, delivering a modernized neo-soul that’s caustic at times but mostly warm and inviting. Even when Noname is exploring darker subject matter, she does so in a way that makes you want to share the pain with her. With fellow Chicagoan (and Fox Valley native) Elton.

$25.

press release: Noname shared her first-ever music video, for "Blaxploitation" from her critically-acclaimed debut album, Room 25, which arrived in September. Noname is also prominently featured in the December issue of Rolling Stone. Around the release of the album, the very private artist opened up for her most personal interview to date in a conversation with The FADER's Rawiya Kameir for the Fall Fashion issue. The new video follows her late night television debut, where she performed a three-song melody on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, opening with a special rendition of "Blaxploitation."

Noname (AKA Fatimah Warner) grew up in Bronzeville, a historic neighborhood on the Southside of Chicago that famously attracted accomplished black artists and intellectuals of all types. Fatimah first discovered her love for wordplay while taking a creative writing class as a sophomore in high school. She became enamored with poetry and spoken word - pouring over Def Poetry Jam clips on YouTube and attending open mics around the city. After impressive appearances as Noname Gypsy on early Chance the Rapper and Mick Jenkins mixtapes, she gained a cult-like following online that helped set the stage for the life-changing release of Telefone. 

"a Sly Hip-Hop Maverick" - The New York Times

"among the best young wordsmiths working today" - New Yorker

"instant classic" - NPR

"a transcendent coming-of-age tale" - Pitchfork 

"One of the Best Rappers Alive" - Rolling Stone